Man jailed after gun found buried in field on Merseyside

A man has been jailed after a handgun was found buried in a field on Merseyside.

Police were carrying out a search of land off George Masters Way in Netherton on Tuesday 20 June last year, when they found a blank-firing pistol converted to shoot real bullets, as well as ammunition buried in the ground.

The officers were responding to intelligence that suggested a firearm had been stored there.

The gun and ammunition were taken to be forensically tested to identify who had touched them, and a match was found with Kevin Murphy.

Murphy, 55, of Captains Lane, was jailed for five years and seven months for possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition for a firearm without a certificate.

Detective Sergeant Chris Clark said: "This result shows how committed our officers are to making Merseyside a safer place by removing firearms and those that would use them from our streets.

"We will quite literally leave no stone unturned in our efforts to take these weapon out of circulation, and searches of land based on community intelligence and police investigations are a crucial part of those efforts.

"Combined with stop searches, warrants and roads policing patrols, we will target those prepared to store, carry and use firearms with all the resources at our disposal and on all fronts.

"In this case, and in so many others, information from the community has made a huge difference, so if you know where dangerous weapons are being stored, let us know and we will take positive action like this.

"We’re absolutely determined to tackle serious organised crime, including gun crime, and we have dedicated teams who are ready and waiting to act on information provided."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know...